4-Year-Old Loses 4 Fingers Due To Fireworks
The child is the youngest of the 19 victims whose fingers or hands were cut off after suffering from injuries caused by different kinds of lit fireworks.
A four-year-old boy entered the new year with four fingers less following another case of firework-related injury (FWRI).
According to the Department of Health (DOH), the little boy sustained blast injuries from an unknown type of fireworks.
The child is the youngest of the 19 victims whose fingers or hands were cut off after suffering from injuries caused by different kinds of lit fireworks.
Following the incident, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa advised parents to be strict and to always monitor their children’s activities.
“Imagine a four-year-old who lost four fingers… That’s permanent, that’s for life. The parents or elderly play a big role and should always be present to supervise their child. When you see a child playing with fireworks, don’t let them light it, take it away from them immediately,” Herbosa said in a radio interview on Saturday, Jan. 3.
Latest DOH data showed that as of 4 a.m. of Jan. 3, there were 655 FWRI cases recorded nationwide.
The victims sustained varying degrees of burns and wounds in different parts of the body. More than half of those injured or 351 are 19 years old and below, with 11 being minors, including the four-year-old.
The DOH again reminded those who suffered injuries due to fireworks to immediately proceed to the nearest hospital and ask for tetanus shots.
“Symptoms do not appear until around eight days, some up to 21 days later, and they can be deadly. Vaccination against tetanus is available and given free at government hospitals,” the DOH said.
